Welcome to episode #223 of the Own Your Best Life Podcast.

When it’s time to think of goals for the next year, it can often feel overwhelming—especially when they’re outside the immediate work or life projects on your to-do list. What do you want from your life beyond that list? This question can stump even the most seasoned professionals, not because they’re not ambitious but because they don’t often have time to think about what’s next beyond work goals. Yet, if you’re feeling like that’s not enough, it’s likely because you’re craving something more.

Today’s podcast will help you dive into your dreamiest goals and clarify some of the uncertainties that come with dreaming beyond today. Imagine looking back on the past year and realizing you’ve lived more of the life you actually want, not just checked off tasks. That’s what we’re going to work on together.

What Do You Really Want?

In my coaching program, we’ve been working on five-year plans, and I often see that while clients work hard, goals beyond the immediate to-dos feel a bit daunting. It’s one thing to look at the next promotion—but what about life goals beyond that? What about how we want to feel or the relationships we have? What about our impact on the world or the unique gifts we bring?

If it feels uncomfortable or confusing, that’s normal! Many of us avoid these kinds of questions by diving back into emails and to-do lists. But here’s the thing: goal-setting is a skill you can develop, and these goals can help you create a life that truly excites you.

Why Big Goals Can Be Hard

The reason so many people struggle with big goals is that we’re wired to think short-term. Fear and anxiety keep us in “wait and see” mode. I remember when I was leaving consulting, worried about work-life balance. I almost went into hiding, hoping no one would notice me. If you’ve ever skied or surfed, you know there’s a big difference between leaning into what’s coming at you and leaning back in fear. One lets you move at your own pace and navigate what’s ahead; the other keeps you tense and more likely to fall.

If you’ve set big goals in the past and felt like you didn’t live up to them, it’s easy to think that time has passed or that you shouldn’t set big goals because of the risk of failing. But this mindset will keep you stuck.

Your Goals Are About More Than Outcomes

Here’s why we set big goals even if we’re afraid we’ll fall short: goals are about more than what you get—they’re about who you become. When I set out to coach, I didn’t know exactly how to do it. I didn’t even know how to pivot into a coaching role or start a business. I had always done the employee thing. I never thought about owning my own business as being important, but I felt this huge pull towards coaching. It was my calling, my path, and I was willing to pursue it no matter what.

Over time, with investment and commitment, I built my business and became the person I needed to be to do this work. I used to look at coffee table books of creatives who owned their own businesses and thought, “I’m not one of them.” But here I am today, doing that very thing.

Setting those goals changed everything. Today, I could stop my corporate work if I wanted to, but I don’t, because that work is also fulfilling. Setting goals and being willing to go after them is what allows us to experience life in bigger ways.

The Four Goals for a Life You Love

There are four kinds of goals that will help you live a life beyond what you can currently imagine. They aren’t just big ideas; they’re designed to help you stretch without feeling overwhelmed. Here they are:

1. Spirituality – This is about your purpose, values, and discovering your gifts. When you set goals in this area, you send a message to the Universe that you want to work with your gifts. It’s about creating a calling that lets you be at your best. A lot of people struggle with big goals because they don’t know what their gifts are yet. But once you discover them, you can focus your energy where you’ll have the greatest impact.
2. Achievement – This is about deciding how you want to direct your passion into your work. This isn’t just about making more money or getting a better title. It’s about creating choices in your life and building agency over your time. Redefining success is essential because what matters in our 20s is often different in our 30s, 40s, and beyond. Following the same predefined paths as everyone else won’t lead to true fulfillment—you have to chart your own course, even if it hasn’t been done before.
3. Mind/Body – This area is about mastering your mind, understanding your body’s wisdom, and reconnecting them. It’s how you achieve in a way that’s sustainable, so you have both the results and peace of mind. When we skip this part, we find ourselves stressed and burnt out. Goals in this area are essential for purpose-driven people because they allow us to grow and face life’s demands with ease and energy.
4. Harmony – This is about our relationships and how we connect to ourselves and others. Goals here impact our communities, because who we are as leaders is a direct reflection of what we believe is possible. When we set new goals in this area, we break old generational patterns and create a future that aligns with our aspirations for ourselves and those around us.

What Not to Do

As you pursue these goals, remember not to overly focus on the big outcome to the point where you give up because it feels overwhelming. The times I’ve felt most successful weren’t when I was fixated on big goals but when I was managing life’s challenges day-to-day, focused on small steps. I wasn’t feeling successful because of a goal. I was living my life, doing the work, and success happened as a byproduct.

For example, when I got into business school, my immediate thought was, “My husband would love this!” That was a clue—it wasn’t what I wanted. So, make sure your goals are what truly light you up, not just what sounds good on the surface.

Don’t measure success only by the big outcomes; celebrate the small wins along the way that move you closer to what you want.

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The Four Questions to Guide Your Goals

As you think about these four areas—Spirituality, Achievement, Mind/Body, and Harmony—ask yourself:

1. “What do I believe?”
2. “What do I want next?”
3. “How do I do it?”
4. “Who is important?”

Answering these questions will help you steer your life toward what genuinely excites and fulfills you. Here’s what I discovered when I answered them for myself:

• “I have gifts that could impact the world.”
• “I want to figure out what my gifts are and how to use them.”
• “I want a life that’s sustainable and benefits my family.”
• “Who I am is my most important work.”

As you start setting your goals, remember that you don’t have to keep going without direction. Steer the ship of your life toward what truly brings you joy and fulfillment. Live into your calling, purpose, and passions, and create the life that feels right for you.

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If you’d like to become a Spiritual Achiever, I invite you to watch the free training on how to Stand Out and Lead, using spiritual, high-performance strategies: STAND OUT AND LEAD.

You can apply to join my Spiritual Achiever® program, where you’re going to create your next chapter with spiritual and high-performance strategies to achieve time and financial freedom using my proven method. It’s risk-free. You either start seeing results within your first month or I give you your money back. Schedule your call here at www.mayempson.com/contact.  We’ll see you inside.

Want to know more about what happens when you join?

1. When you join Spiritual Achiever® Coaching you’ll be supported for a full year: Career Revelation Academy: A 5-step career change process (if you have a job you want to stay in, I’ll show you how to love it even more) that can launch you into your next career chapter in 30 days.
2. 2x/month group training and coaching on Spirituality, Achievement, Earth Energy and Harmony. You’ll know how to design your days for breakthroughs, create a personal brand and community, lead yourself and others through change, become more physically and mentally fit, reduce stress and reinvent what’s possible in this next chapter of your life.
3. Discover your Leadership Strengths and Branding Workshop: Increase your awareness of what makes YOU different from others and how to become even better at your genius zone.
4. Your Best Year workshop: Create your one year plan and design this next year, no matter what time of the year it is.
5. Your Next 5 Years one-day virtual retreat: Vision what’s possible 5 years from now and break out of your old routines so you can step into new habits, behaviors and routines.
6. Tickets to all in-person Spiritual Achiever retreats (discounted rates): Highly immersive and intimate gatherings where we spend time in nature, experience energy work, eat and move well – all while making big decisions and committing to what’s next for us.
7. Monthly 1:1 Coaching Sessions: To help you break through obstacles, define your individual path, and to work on both strategy and mindset.

The next step?

Schedule a consultation to get clarity on how coaching can help you on your journey.

Once you’re accepted into the program, you’ll receive a calendar invite for a 2-hour deep dive 1:1 session to map out your personal goals and your own year-long journey.

You’ll have immediate access to the Spiritual Achiever process and philosophy – how to achieve your biggest goals and reinvent your life.

You’ll have immediate access to 5 modules of Career Revelation Academy – to love your career even more and launch that next chapter of your career in 30 days.

You’ll have the calendar invites for the upcoming group calls and retreats.

If this speaks to you, I can’t wait to talk to you live: Schedule a consultation.

Reach out at www.mayempson.com/contact for more information on my Spiritual Achiever coaching program. You’ll figure out what’s next and actually go and do it. 

That’s it for this week. Have an amazing one and I’ll talk to you next time.